


Remodeling

by basketofnovas (slashmarks)



Series: New Tenancy [3]
Category: The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker
Genre: Collection: Purimgifts Day 3, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-12
Updated: 2019-03-12
Packaged: 2019-11-15 21:42:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18081425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slashmarks/pseuds/basketofnovas
Summary: Chava solves a crisis.





	Remodeling

**Author's Note:**

  * For [opalmatrix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/opalmatrix/gifts).



A sudden cacaphony of desires swept the front hall. A woman shrieked and began to weep; voices rose up below the sobbing.

The Golem put the skirt she was hemming aside and sat still for a moment. She sorted through the desires with now-greater practice: Rachel wanted them to be quiet and stop upsetting the new actress more, János wanted to her to be alright, Elizabeth was concerned about disturbing the household.

She found Rosa, the new girl who was crying, finally: her desires were a complicated, sharp jumble. She wanted to stop crying and thereby feel less embarrassed. She wanted János to come over and hug her and Rachel to get out of the way. She wanted to do a good job in the part she had been unexpectedly promoted to from her position as understudy. She wanted a dress to wear, a dress that hadn't been soaked in chicken blood a few hours before the opening act tonight-

That must be why everyone was so upset. The boardinghouse got on well with each other - they usually weren't in the same plays at the same time, even if they might compete for the same set of parts, and Elizabeth kept a sharp lid on any threats of backstabbing. The Golem had grown to understand over the last weeks that this was not always the case among actors.

She expected the knock that came a few minutes later. "Chava," Maria said breathlessly when she opened the door, "One of the other actresses dumped Rosa's costume for the play tonight in chicken blood, and she doesn't have time to get a replacement. Do you think you could let one of our costumes out for her fast enough? You know she doesn't have anything else yet, she's just starting like me."

"I think I can find something," the Golem said automatically: it would be a rush, but her hands were steady and fast. Her gaze turned to Rosa, climbing the stairs, still sniffling into her sleeve.

Rosa wasn't built like most of the other actresses: she was sturdy, almost plain without stage lighting and makeup. It was her voice that really made her, her voice that had won her understudy for an important soprano part.

She was in fact shaped much like the Golem.

"I think I have just the thing," the Golem said. "I shouldn't need to alter it much. Rosa, come stand here."

She bent to open her lower drawer, and took out her wedding dress.

"Oh," Rosa gasped.

"Chava," Maria said. "Is that--"

"I won't need it now," she said truthfully, and shook it out. The Jinni would arrive in New York City again in only a couple of weeks; and he would not want a wedding. "Maria, shut the door so she can change."

"I didn't know you were married," Rosa said shyly, while Chava pinned the waist a little tighter.

"I was, twice," Chava said. The thought was impossibly distant now. "It didn't go very well. There. I'll have to shorten the hem, but look in the mirror. Will this work?"

"It's gorgeous," Rosa said, leaning forward to touch her reflection. "You sewed this for yourself? I can't take it!"

"You can," the Golem said. She felt Rosa's desire for the dress, her pleasure at her own reflection. "Think of how many will see it tonight? Ten times more than the guests at my wedding. I would be honored," she said.

"Well, if you say so," Rosa said. The tears were gone from her eyes.

**Author's Note:**

>  
> 
>  
> 
> Wedding dress from 1892, [from the NYPL digital collections.](https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e0-f27d-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99)


End file.
